Department for Business and Trade

Supermarkets: Prices

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of supermarket loyalty schemes on price transparency and affordability for consumers.

Lord Offord of Garvel: The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) are beginning a review into the use of loyalty scheme pricing by supermarkets in early 2024.

Foreign Investment in UK: Northern Ireland

The Earl of Effingham: To ask His Majesty's Government, following reports that 40 per cent of foreign direct investment projects in Northern Ireland in the year to August 2023 came from American companies, what assessment they have made of the diversity of the investor base for foreign direct investment projects in Northern Ireland, and what steps they are taking to ensure further diversification, including from regions who were not invited to the Northern Ireland Investment Summit in September.

Lord Johnson of Lainston: The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) worked closely with the Northern Ireland Office and Invest Northern Ireland to ensure that a diverse group of investors attended the Northern Ireland Investment Summit. Investors from Europe, the Americas, the Middle East and Asia Pacific markets all attended.DBT teams globally work in conjunction with Invest NI colleagues to showcase Northern Ireland as a location for investment. The UK Government, via the Northern Ireland Office, has provided support to Invest Northern Ireland for additional international staff across the globe, helping to diversify foreign direct investment.

Home Office

Drugs: Misuse

Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb: To ask His Majesty's Government what policy changes they are actively considering, formulating and developing in relation to the Advisory Council for the Misuse of Drugs report sent to the Home Secretary in December 2016, titled Interaction and relationship between the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 and the Psychoactive Substances Act 2016; and when they expect this policy process to conclude.

Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the interaction and relationship between the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 and the Psychoactive Substances Act 2016, and what plans they have to harmonise those two regimes.

Lord Sharpe of Epsom: The Psychoactive Substances Act 2016 (PSA) was designed to complement the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 (MDA), by introducing civil sanctions and offences for those who produce, possess with intent to supply, supply, offer to supply and import or export new psychoactive substances which are not controlled under the MDA or which are not otherwise exempt. One of the important safeguards which the PSA provides is ensuring there are no gaps in law enforcement powers to tackle newly emerging harmful drugs. This is in the context that prior to 2016 criminal gangs were designing new psychoactive drugs with different chemical structures in order to evade MDA controls. Substances can be moved into the MDA following advice on their harms from the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) and subject to the decisions of Ministers.A review of the PSA published in 2018 found that there is no evidence that the PSA has adversely affected the process or timeliness with which substances can be controlled under the MDA, with substances continuing to be controlled after the Act was introduced. Review of the Psychoactive Substances Act 2016 (publishing.service.gov.uk). The government keeps all legislation under review, but has no plans to change either legislative regime substantially.The report referred to as ‘Interaction and relationship between the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 and the Psychoactive Substances Act 2016’ was shared with the Home Office in confidence by the ACMD and is not a public document. One recommendation has been made public, concerning a review of the Working Protocol between the ACMD and the Home Office, which the government has agreed to undertake.

Drugs: Misuse

Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb: To ask His Majesty's Government what harm reduction policies they are implementing in relation to illicit drug use.

Lord Sharpe of Epsom: The Drug Strategy sets out our commitment that the government and our public services will continue to work together and share responsibility for creating a safer, healthier and more productive society. It is backed by increased funding across the system, including nearly £900 million of additional investment over 2022-2025, of which the largest amount, £780 million, is dedicated additional funding for the treatment and recovery system.Delivering a world-class treatment and recovery system is one of the three key strategic priorities in the Drug Strategy.As part of this priority, the Government continues to support a range of evidence-based approaches to reduce the health-related harms of drug misuse, such as maintaining the availability of needle and syringe programmes to prevent blood borne infections, widening the availability of naloxone to prevent overdose deaths and the rollout of the opioid treatment, depot buprenorphine.

Extradition: Rwanda

Viscount Waverley: To ask His Majesty's Government whether the government of Rwanda has requested the extradition of individuals associated with genocide-related activities; if so, whether those individuals have been extradited; and, if not, why.

Lord Sharpe of Epsom: In July 2017, extradition requests from Rwanda for five individuals accused of involvement in the genocide were refused by the High Court. The Government does not interfere in these judicial decisions.

Offenders: Foreign Nationals

Lord Jackson of Peterborough: To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to prevent abuse of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 by foreign national offenders using the provisions of the Act to delay proceedings against them or to stay their removal from the UK.

Lord Sharpe of Epsom: The Government is clear in its commitment to identifying, protecting, and supporting genuine victims of modern slavery whilst prosecuting criminals.The Modern Slavery Act 2015, and subsequent legislation such as the Nationality and Borders Act 2022, and Illegal Migration Act 2023, make it harder for people to game the modern slavery system. Measures in our modern slavery legislation strike the right balance and still enable us to protect genuine victims of trafficking.The Nationality and Borders Act 2022 introduced the Public Order Disqualification, which means that foreign national offenders can be removed from the protections of the NRM where they pose a threat to public order.The Illegal Migration Act 2023 furthered these measures, toughening the measures introduced in the Nationality and Borders Act 2022.Additionally, where a foreign national offender has entered the United Kingdom illegally, and therefore presents a threat to public order, they will be disqualified from access to a recovery period and modern slavery specific support, unless they qualify for limited exceptions.

Immigration Controls: Heads of State

Viscount Waverley: To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have a record of any head of a state that is a close ally of the UK being subjected to questioning by Border Force when transiting through a UK airport.

Lord Sharpe of Epsom: Border Force does not hold the data in an easily accessible format on Heads of State being subject to questioning. There is specific guidance on the way Border Force handle government travel available on GOV.UK: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/exempt-exm/exempt-exm

Immigration Controls: Official Visits

Viscount Waverley: To ask His Majesty's Government whether Border Force have a list of democratically elected heads of state, heads of government and ministers to ensure that inappropriate questioning does not occur when such persons enter or transit through the UK.

Lord Sharpe of Epsom: Border Force are legally mandated to carry out checks on 100% of scheduled arrivals into the UK, including diplomats, ministers and VIPs. Border Force do not retain a list of all Heads of State and other government diplomats, however work closely with the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office on any official visits. There is specific guidance on the way Border Force handle government travel available on GOV.UK: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/exempt-exm/exempt-exm

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

British Overseas Territories: Foreign Relations

Viscount Waverley: To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to conduct a review of the UK's relationship with the overseas territories.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: At the November UK-OT Joint Ministerial Council, the UK Government agreed a Declaration with the elected Governments of the Overseas Territories (OTs), providing a new framework for our relationship with the OTs that is based on our shared values, and is fit for the 21st Century.This refresh and modernisation of the relationships between UK and OTs will continue with the ongoing development, announced by the former Foreign Secretary in the Spring, of a new UK Strategy for the Overseas Territories, building on the 2012 White Paper.

Democratic Republic of Congo: Children

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the reply byLord Benyon on 30 November (HL Deb cols 1172–1174),what discussions they have held with the government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and what support they have provided to that government to ensure that children are not incarcerated, penalised, or physically harmed solely for unlawful acts committed as a direct result of their exploitation in child labour.

Lord Benyon: We note the continued prevalence of child labour in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and are committed to eradicating all forms of modern slavery, forced labour and human trafficking in line with achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goal 8.7 by 2030. We regularly raise the issue of child labour in DRC both with the DRC government, and through multi-lateral fora such as the Human Rights Council. In addition, the Home Office is funding work through the Modern Slavery Innovation Fund with the objective of strengthening partnerships to prevent and remedy forced labour in supply chains from DRC. Through such partnerships, we are committed to ensuring that children are not penalised any further for their unlawful exploitation. The UK government is committed to the principles laid out in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) and is dedicated to providing the best possible opportunities for all children, but especially those who have had the hardest start in life.

Democratic Republic of Congo: Children

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the reply byLord Benyon on 30 November (HL Deb cols 1172–1174), what assessment they have made of the prevalence of non-state actors recruiting children in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, whether they have conducted a Joint Analysis of Conflict and Stability assessment in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in recent years, and if so, what were the findings in relation to the use of children for forced labour and in armed conflict as recruited by non-state actors.

Lord Benyon: The UK is firmly committed to ending the recruitment and use of child soldiers and to protecting all children affected by armed conflict. We are working with the Government of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to ensure their approach to community-based disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration (DDR) and stabilisation includes a focus on the need to provide tailored support to children associated with armed groups. The DRC Government has not published figures on the prevalence of child labour, but we note continued reports of modern slavery within the mining sector of DRC, especially in cobalt mining. Our support for the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) recognises the humanitarian problem posed by non-state actors recruiting children for forced labour, and aims to eradicate this by improving transparency and governance in the mining sector.

Mali: Peacekeeping Operations

The Earl of Sandwich: To ask His Majesty's Government what losses have been sustained due to attacks on United Nations protection forces and international agencies during their withdrawal from Mali; and what effect the withdrawal has had on UK personnel and projects, including those of non-government organisations.

Lord Benyon: The UK condemns attacks against UN and international personnel in Mali and calls on all parties to help facilitate MINUSMA's (United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali) safe withdrawal. The final UN convoy departing Kidal suffered six IED (Improvised explosive device) incidents, injuring 37 peacekeepers. Due to deteriorating security and logistical constraints, the UN was forced to undertake accelerated withdrawals from some bases, resulting in the loss of equipment. Security in Mali has deteriorated over the past months and it is clear that the presence of Wagner Group is not in the interests of stability. The UK is working closely with partners in Mali to monitor security and adapt operations.

Pakistan: Textbooks

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have made representations to the government of Pakistan regarding reports that Pakistani school textbooks encourage religious discrimination.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: We continue to engage on the critical need for Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) in Pakistani schools. At Pakistan's Universal Periodic Review in January, the UK recommended action to ensure that school textbooks are inclusive of all religions, and urged Pakistan to ensure that religious minorities can access suitable alternatives to compulsory Qu'ranic studies. In July 2023, the British High Commission participated in a civil society-led panel discussion on Minorities and Education. We have previously supported initiatives to review the National Curriculum of Pakistan, providing technical assistance to create a more inclusive curriculum and textbooks.

Israel: Gender Based Violence and Sexual Offences

Baroness Helic: To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the government of Israel on the provision of UK practical support for investigating, and caring for survivors and witnesses of, sexual and gender-based violence committed on 7 October in Israel.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: We are aware of the shocking reports of sexual violence perpetrated by Hamas on 7 October. It is vital that reports of sexual violence are investigated independently, rigorously, and sensitively to avoid re-traumatisation, that perpetrators are held to account, and that survivors receive holistic support.  We continue to engage regularly with partners, including Israel and the United Nations, to urge that all reports of sexual violence in conflict are investigated, that survivors have access to specialized services and justice, and that parties abide by applicable international humanitarian and human rights law.

Non-governmental Organisations: Development Aid

The Earl of Sandwich: To ask His Majesty's Government which non-governmental organisations receiving aid from the UK remain in (1) Mali, (2) Niger, and (3) Burkina Faso, in spite of the withdrawal of protection forces.

Lord Benyon: The UK continues to provide aid through reputable non-governmental organisations in Niger, Burkina Faso, and in Mali, despite the withdrawal of the UN peacekeeping forces there. These organisations include the Danish Refugee Council, which is working with an NGO consortia to provide humanitarian aid in all three countries; Marie Stopes International, which provides women's sexual health services in Mali and Niger, and Mercy Corps which supports local land conflict prevention in Mali and Niger. The UK also funds the International Committee of the Red Cross who deliver humanitarian and protection work across the region.

Ministry of Defence

Armed Forces: Satellite Communications

Lord West of Spithead: To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to require the design, manufacture and testing of future military satellite communications used by the Armed Forces to be done in the UK.

The Earl of Minto: Future military satellite communications are being secured though a programme called SKYNET 6. The Ministry of Defence has already contracted UK companies to develop the first new satellite (Airbus Defence & Space Ltd) and to provide ground and flight control services for the entire constellation (a consortium led by Babcock). Subsequent SKYNET satellites are being acquired through two separate competitive procurements. The first of these is for a more widely available Narrowband Satellite System, and thus it is being procured via an open competition. The second is for up to three highly technological wideband satellites. There is a clear requirement in the competition invite that the key design, manufacture and testing activities for the wideband satellites are undertaken in the UK, in accordance with the aims of the Defence and Security Industrial Strategy (publishing.service.gov.uk).

Skynet

Lord West of Spithead: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the case for the UK to maintain full sovereign control of the Skynet satellite constellation into the future.

The Earl of Minto: SKYNET 6 is the UK MOD’s strategic highly assured and protected satellite communications (SATCOM) capability. The criticality of maintaining Freedom of Action and Operational Independence, and therefore ‘sovereign control’ of this national capability, has been a firm requirement and has been verified every year since programme inception. To meet all known threats and to provide assured positive Command and Control of UK Armed Forces and support to other Government departments necessitates an appropriate level of UK ‘ownership’, as defined in the Defence Space Strategy and the MOD’s Assured Capability framework. This is delivered by balancing UK-led activities with the use of allied networks and the global commercial market, where appropriate.

Army: Mental Health

Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment the Army has made of the risk of adolescent recruits enlisting with a history of depression or anxiety later being discharged for reasons of mental health.

The Earl of Minto: The Armed Forces have entry Medical Employment Standards against which potential adolescent recruits are assessed. These permit entry of individuals with a history of depression or anxiety if they meet specific, medically approved criteria. These individuals are not medically downgraded; they are considered medically fit for enlistment.The Army delivers training and education to instructors on how to prepare recruits for coping with stressful situations and to understand not only the technical and physical needs of recruits, but also their psychological and social needs. There are enhanced welfare support facilities in all Basic Training locations, with both Army and external agencies able to offer advice and support outside the Chain of Command. Risks are proactively sought out and actively managed in accordance with Army policies and civilian best practices.

Army: Mental Health

Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle: To ask His Majesty's Government how many and what proportion of recruits at the Army Foundation College were discharged for a mental health reason in each of the last five years.

The Earl of Minto: Between 1 April 2018 and 31 March 2023, fewer than five UK Regular untrained personnel at Army Foundation College (Harrogate) were medically discharged with a mental or behavioural disorder cited as the principal or contributory cause. Below is a table with the breakdown per year and proportion. Table 1: Army Foundation College (Harrogate) Regular untrained personnel1 medically discharged with a principal or contributory cause of a mental or behavioral disorder, by financial year, numbers and percentages2 1 April 2018 to 31 March 2023Year Number of personnelPercentage22018-19002019-20~ 2020-21~ 2021-22002022-2300 ~ In line with JSP 200, the suppression methodology has been applied to ensure individuals are not inadvertently identified dependent on the risk of disclosure. Numbers fewer than five have been suppressed and presented as ‘~’.1 Regular untrained personnel, including MPGS and Gurkhas.2 Number of medically discharged personnel as a percentage of all untrained Regular Army Foundation College (Harrogate) personnel on strength within that year.This response excludes any untrained personnel who are discharged under administrative categories, albeit on medical grounds.Information on medical discharges has been sourced from electronic medical records (DMICP) and manually entered paper documents (FMed 23s). The primary purpose of these medical documents is to ensure the appropriate administration of each individual patient’s discharge. Statistical analysis and reporting are secondary functions.

Army: Mental Health

Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle: To ask His Majesty's Government what are the most common categories of mental health problem that recruits at the Army Foundation College have presented to the on-site counselling psychotherapist, and whether a periodic report of the data is produced.

The Earl of Minto: The Army Foundation College (Harrogate) (AFC(H)) does not employ an on-site counselling psychotherapist. There is a Wellbeing Support Officer nested within the College welfare team, who is a trained counsellor. Additionally, the Women’s Royal Volunteer Service operate a walk-in service to allow Junior Soldiers to talk to someone outside the military, and a Child and Adolescents Mental Health Services nurse is embedded within the Medical Centre Primary Care Team. There is no periodic report that consolidates the activity of the various support networks listed above, but any Junior Soldier who has presented as a cause for concern will be discussed at the Commanding Officer’s Monthly Case Review to ensure the right level of support is offered. Any urgent concerns are heard at case conferences to progress an appropriate Care Action Plan.

Department for Education

National Vocational Qualifications: Costs

Baroness Blower: To ask His Majesty's Government what isthe average cost of a National Vocational Qualification at (1) Level 2, and (2) Level 3.

Baroness Barran: The Adult Education Budget (AEB) fully funds or co-funds skills provision for eligible adults aged 19 and above from pre-entry to Level 3. About 60% of the AEB has been devolved to nine Mayoral Combined Authorities and the Mayor of London and these authorities are now responsible for, and determine, the funding rates for the provision in their areas. The Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) provides the remaining funding for learners who live in non-devolved areas. Within the ESFA AEB, the department funds qualifications on the programme weighting of the qualification and its size. It is up to providers to decide what provision they offer and then claim the funding rate and therefore the department does not hold the information regarding the cost of delivering specific National Vocational Qualifications (NVQs).For 16 to 19 year olds, the department calculates funding for institutions using national funding rates, which depend on the overall size of students’ programmes, rather than funding based on specific qualifications. Therefore, the department does not hold information regarding the costs of delivering specific NVQs.

Electricians: Apprentices

Baroness Garden of Frognal: To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to encourage small businesses to engage in apprenticeship programmes aimed at delivering a skilled pipeline of electrical contractors into the workforce.

Baroness Barran: Apprenticeships provide a fantastic opportunity for people to acquire the knowledge and skills needed to progress into electrical occupations, and the department is increasing investment in apprenticeships to £2.7 billion by 2024/25 to support employers of all sizes to grow their apprenticeships workforce. The department’s employer-designed apprenticeship standards ensure that apprentices are gaining relevant industry experience to progress in over 690 different occupations, including in electrical occupations such as Level 3 domestic electrician, Level 4 building energy management systems controls engineer and Level 6 electro-mechanical engineer. The department has made it easier for smaller employers to recruit the next generation of talent removing the limit on the number of apprentices they can take on and cutting by a third the number of steps needed to register to take on an apprentice. The department continues to fund 95% of the cost of apprenticeships in small employers who do not pay the levy and meet 100% of the cost for the smallest employers (fewer than 50 staff) when they take on eligible young apprentices. The levy transfer system has also been simplified so smaller employers can more easily benefit from transferred funds.

Special Educational Needs: Cancer

Lord Storey: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the case for issuing children suffering from canceraneducation, health and care plan.

Baroness Barran: The department shares the ambition that children with cancer get the support they need to remain in school if they are well enough, both to maintain their education and for the benefits of being with their friends. The department understands this may not always be possible, either on a short or long-term basis. That is why there are existing statutory duties to ensure children with cancer should be able to get the support they need without an Education Health and Care plan. Under the Equality Act 2010, cancer is classified as a disability. This means schools must make reasonable adjustments to their practices, procedures and policies to ensure that such a child is not substantially disadvantaged in their education. Under section 100 of the Children and Families Act, schools also have duties to support children with medical conditions, including by providing an Individual Health Plan. The department has issued guidance to support schools in this. Local authorities also have legal duties under Section 19 of the Education Act 1996 to provide all children with a full-time education. If a child is unable to attend school, for example due to risk of infection after cancer treatment, then the local authority, working with medical professionals, the child and their family, must make alternative arrangements for them, such as home tutoring.

Electricians: Training

Baroness Garden of Frognal: To ask His Majesty's Government whatsteps they aretaking to support students studying a classroom-based electrical technical diploma to transition into the workforce.

Baroness Garden of Frognal: To ask His Majesty's Government what stepsthey are taking to measure the learner outcomes and career progression of students completing electrical technical diplomas.

Baroness Barran: Further education outcomes are published annually and include information on the employment and further learning destinations of adult learners in the academic year after achieving their learning aim. The outcomes are available to view online at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/further-education-outcome-based-success-measures. Earnings outcomes are also tracked in each of the five academic years after achievement of the learning aim. Users can break down the data to view the outcomes for learners achieving specific qualifications. The most recent published data relates to adult learners who achieved their qualification in the 2020/21 academic year and their destinations in the following academic year (2021/22). For example, the following table shows the sort of learner outcome measures that can be found in the publication. The outcomes relate to the year after achievement of the qualification. Full methodology is available at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/methodology/further-education-outcomes.Qualification titleSustained employment and/or learningSustained employmentSustained learningMedian earningsAdvanced Technical Diploma in Electrical Installation78%75%11%cDiploma in Electrical Installation90%77%56%£17,730Diploma in Electrical Installations (Buildings and Structures)89%79%49%£21,460Advanced Diploma in Electrical Installation86%85%10%cDiploma in Electrical Installation (Engineering)93%83%60%zDiploma in Electrical/Electronic Engineering83%75%58%zIntermediate Diploma in Electrical Installation93%85%66%z   c denotes where a figure has been suppressed for confidentiality reasons and z denotes where data is unavailable.  The department expects further education providers to ensure students are well informed about the world of work and their options for employment, and to tailor careers activities to the needs of their students. Providers should deliver support and advice on transitional pathways into further/higher education, training or into employment. These expectations are underpinned by funding agreements that require further education colleges and sixth form colleges to secure access to independent careers guidance for all students up to the age of 18 and to 19- to- 24-year-olds with an Education, Health and Care Plan. Further education colleges also have a statutory duty under the Education Act 1997 to provide persons attending the college with access to both guidance materials and reference materials relating to careers education and career opportunities.

Apprentices

Baroness Wolf of Dulwich: To ask His Majesty's Government what proportion of apprentices starting their apprenticeships in 2021–22 and 2022–23 were apprentices aged (1) 25–34, (2) 35–44, and (3) 45 and over.

Baroness Barran: The proportion of apprenticeship starts split by the age groups specified are shown in the table below:Academic years2021/222022/23Apprenticeship startsPercentage startsApprenticeship startsPercentage starts25-3485,64024.5%80,32023.8%35-4449,20014.1%49,77014.8%45+30,5108.7%30,5309.1%Total - all ages349,190100%337,140100% Notes:(1) Data source is the Individualised Learner Record.(2) Volumes are rounded to the nearest 10. Proportions have been calculated using rounded figures.(3) Starts are the count of apprenticeships started at any point during the stated academic period. Learners starting more than one Apprenticeship will appear more than once.(4) Age for starts is based on age at the start of the programme. Further information on apprenticeship starts can be found in the apprenticeships and traineeships statistics publication, which is available at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/apprenticeships-and-traineeships.

Apprentices

Baroness Wolf of Dulwich: To ask His Majesty's Government how many apprentices aged 25 and over who started an apprenticeship in 2021–22 and 2022–23 were enrolled for (1) a level 3 engineering apprenticeship, (2) a digital support technician level 3 apprenticeship, (3) a level 4 engineering apprenticeship, and (4) a level 4 software engineer or developer apprenticeship;what proportion each of these apprenticeships represents ofthe total number of apprenticeship starts for those aged 25 and over, in each of those years; and what proportion each represents of total starts on those specific apprenticeship standards.

Baroness Barran: The tables below contain the apprenticeship starts figures for the 2021/22 and 2022/23 academic years:.LevelSector Subject Area (SSA) tier 2Apprenticeship starts age 25+Proportion of all 25+ apprenticeship startsProportion of all age starts on specific SSA at level2021/222022/232021/222022/232021/222022/233Engineering3,1102,7801.9%1.7%16.6%14.6%4Engineering7608700.5%0.5%67.9%70.9% LevelStandard nameApprenticeship starts age 25+Proportion of all 25+ apprenticeship startsProportion of all age starts on specific standard at level2021/222022/232021/222022/232021/222022/233Digital Support Technician1802400.1%0.2%38.9%52.9%4Software Developer5104400.3%0.3%49.3%45.9% Notes:(1) Figures are rounded to the nearest 10.(2) Age is based on age at the start of the programme.(3) Data source is the Individualised Learner Record. Further information on apprenticeship starts can be found in the apprenticeships and traineeships statistics publication, which is available at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/apprenticeships-and-traineeships.

Department of Health and Social Care

Royal Sussex County Hospital: Air Ambulance Services

Baroness Merron: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byLord Markham on 6 December (HL563), whenthe helipad at the Royal Sussex County Hospital was first opened and operational; what the costs were associated with building the helipad; what further works are required for the facility to become fully operational; and when they will be completed.

Lord Markham: The helipad has not been opened yet and is not currently operational. The costs associated with building the helipad are currently £14.2 million. There are several activities required to allow the helipad to become operational. These include recruitment and training of the response/fire team, completion of standard operating procedures, and Civil Aviation Authority final inspection and test flights.In addition, a review of outstanding backlog maintenance issues for the block on which the helipad is located, to ensure any items that may prevent operation of the helipad are resolved, where possible. This includes a review of the external windows. The current planning assumption is that the helipad will be operational during 2024/25.

Bowel Cancer and Inflammatory Bowel Disease: Screening

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to hold discussions with Care Quality Commission, NHS England and integrated care boards to reduce differences and discrimination in the delivery of (1) colorectal screening in healthy people, and (2) care and surveillance of patients with inflammatory bowel disease.

Lord Markham: There are currently no plans for specific discussion on this matter. However, the subject may be raised at programme boards and other regular conversations between officials at NHS England and the Department.

Bowel Cancer and Inflammatory Bowel Disease: Screening

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they have taken since the 2019 publication of 'Asymptomatic Inflammatory Bowel Disease and Colorectal Cancer Screening Programs' by Farrukh and Mayberry in Gastrointestinal Disorders in respect of its findings of differences and discrimination in the delivery of (1) colorectal screening in healthy people, and (2) care and surveillance of patients with inflammatory bowel disease.

Lord Markham: If someone is detected during bowel screening to have blood in their faeces, then found to have inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) through follow up tests they are referred to the symptomatic service for onward management and surveillance. They are then offered screening every two years along with ongoing monitoring and surveillance, the timeframes of which are detailed below.The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE)’s guideline on colorectal cancer prevention was published in March 2011 and updated in September 2022. It recommends using colonoscopy to check for signs of bowel cancer in people aged 18 years old and over with ulcerative colitis or Crohn’s disease. The guidance recommends that follow-up and ongoing colonoscopic surveillance should be arranged at regular intervals for people with IBD and tubular adenoma as follows:- Low risk: offer colonoscopy at five years;- Intermediate risk: offer colonoscopy at three years; or- High risk: offer colonoscopy at one year.A copy of the guidance is attached.We expect integrated care boards (ICBs) to have due regard to relevant NICE guidelines when commissioning services. It is the responsibility of ICBs to make available appropriate provision to meet the health and care needs of their local population, in line with these NICE guidelines.Colorectal cancer  (pdf, 278.3KB)

NHS: Managers

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the managerial capacity of the NHS, particularly at chartered professional level, to lead the systems changes required to deliver their stated priorities.

Lord Markham: We recognise that strong and effective leadership and management is critically important in the NHS and has a significant impact on the effectiveness of the NHS and workplace culture. The Government commissioned General Sir Gordon Messenger to review leadership capacity and capability across the system. His report, Leadership for a Collaborative and Inclusive Future, published in June 2022 in an online-only format, focusses on the best ways to strengthen leadership and management across health and with its key interfaces with adult social care in England. The review identified seven recommendations to foster and replicate the best examples of leadership through improved training, career development and talent management, and through embedding inclusive cultures and behaviours within health and care. These are being taken forward by NHS England, working in partnership with Skills for Care.The NHS Leadership Academy provides opportunities for managers to develop themselves and to aid them in supporting the development of their staff through masterclasses, seminars, networking opportunities and more formal development programmes.

NHS: Staff

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to produce a strategy to recruit, retrain and develop a skilled project and change professional workforce, to ensure the successful delivery and sustainable long-term benefits of its healthcare policies and reforms.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure the recruitment and training of essential non-clinical professionals including (1) digital product developers, (2) data scientists, (3) systems architects, and (4) project and change managers, to support the transformation of health and care services.

Lord Markham: The NHS Long Term Workforce Plan (LTWP) sets out the steps the National Health Service and its partners need to take to deliver an NHS workforce that meets the changing needs of the population over the next 15 years. It will put the workforce on a sustainable footing for the long term. We have committed to refreshing the modelling that underpins the plan every two years or in line with fiscal events to ensure that assessments of staff remain accurate against wider operational, financial, and educational planning needs.At a local level, NHS organisations are best placed to determine their own recruitment needs, informed by their workforce, service and financial planning and ensuring there is sufficient skilled workforce around project and change management, digital product developers, data scientists and systems architects.

Abortion: Statistics

Lord Jackson of Peterborough: To ask His Majesty's Government whether they intend to instruct the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities to regularly and expeditiously report the Hospital Episode Statistics on abortion complications that are treated on an outpatient basis at NHS A&E departments.

Lord Jackson of Peterborough: To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to ensure thatthe reporting of Hospital Episode Statistics on abortion complications treated at NHS hospitals, as published by the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities on 23 November, is made part of that Office's routine annual reporting of abortion statistics in England and Wales.

Lord Markham: The recent release of statistics comparing data from the Department’s Abortion Notification System and the Hospital Episode Statistics was an ad hoc official statistics in development publication, formerly known as experimental statistics. There are currently no plans to issue a similar publication annually.The Department is inviting views on abortion statistics for England and Wales via an online user engagement survey and via email at abortion.statistics@dhsc.gov.uk.

Women and Equalities

Equal Pay: Ethnic Groups

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask His Majesty's Government, with reference to the ethnicity pay gap data published by the Office for National Statistics on 29 November, what steps they are taking to combat ethnicity pay gaps in the UK.

Baroness Barran: The Government published guidance for employers on ethnicity pay reporting in April, which sets out best practice on measuring, analysing and reporting ethnicity pay gaps. Alongside this, we are supporting employers who wish to measure their pay gaps and are identifying examples of good practice. We also launched an Inclusion at Work Panel earlier this year. The Panel, made up of academics and practitioners in business, will develop and disseminate resources that can help employers achieve fairness and inclusion in the workplace. These actions are part of our ambitious Inclusive Britain strategy, published in March 2022, which set out 74 bold actions to tackle entrenched ethnic disparities in employment, education, health and criminal justice.

Department for Work and Pensions

Access to Work Programme

Lord Touhig: To ask His Majesty's Government what is the estimated average time span from application to payment for employment support providers seeking help from the Access to Work scheme.

Lord Touhig: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of any delays, and the reasons for such delays, in paying fundstoemployment support providerswho have successfully applied for help fromthe Access to Work scheme.

Lord Touhig: To ask His Majesty's Government how many employment support providers have received support from the Access to Work scheme in each of the past five years.

Viscount Younger of Leckie: We do not routinely collect data on the funding provided directly to employment support providers. Access to Work funding is, in most cases, paid directly to the customer, unless the customer requests that the funding is paid directly to an employment support provider. Access to work has recruited additional staff to ensure a high level of customer service. The digital payments portal was introduced in June 2023 and is available for all customers that choose to claim online. Access to Work has received significant increase in payment claims over the last year and have recruited new staff to meet the increased demand and reduce the time it takes to make payments.

Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities

Empty Property

Lord Storey: To ask His Majesty's Government what was the total number of empty houses for each of the past three years.

Baroness Penn: As set out in publicly available information, statistics on vacant dwellings in England (as reported for the purposes of council tax) for each of the past three years are shown in Table 1 below.Table 1. All vacant dwellings1 and Long-Term vacant dwellings2 England, 2021 to 2023.DateAll-VacantsLong-Term Vacants 4 Oct 2021653,025237,340 3 Oct 2022676,304248,149 2 Oct 2023699,126261,189  Source: Council Tax Base (https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/council-taxbase-statistics) and also published in Live Table 615 (https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/live-tables-on-dwelling-stock-including-vacants)1 These are defined as empty properties as classified for council tax purposes and include empty properties liable for 100% council tax and empty properties that receive a council tax exemption, discount or premium.2 These are defined as properties liable for council tax that have been empty for more than six months and that are not subject to Empty Homes Discount class D or empty due to specific flooding events.

Cabinet Office

Civil Servants: Contracts

Viscount Waverley: To ask His Majesty's Government whether the terms and conditions of civil servant contracts initiated after the COVID-19 pandemic specify (1) a location of work, or (2) the amount of time that civil servants must be present in an office location.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: Decisions on flexible working requests are made locally by departments, based on their business needs and delivery requirements. As departments are individual employers they set out their employees’ terms and conditions, including any flexible working policies. Ministers are clear that civil servants should be in the workplace where needed to drive delivery and they should adhere to their contractual obligations. Workplace attendance has an important role in effective service delivery to the public. To deliver value for the taxpayer means ensuring we maximise the use of the estate and proactively manage workplace attendance. Therefore, in addition to the thousands of civil servants working in such places as prisons, courts and our UK borders, office-based workers will be expected to spend a minimum of 60% of working time in the workplace.

Department for Energy Security and Net Zero

Government Departments: Carbon Emissions

Baroness Jones of Whitchurch: To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking on a cross-government basis to monitor and integrate the individual departmental responsibilities set out in the Net Zero Research and Innovation Delivery Plan.

Lord Callanan: Strategic oversight and integration of government funding for net zero research and innovation takes place through the Net Zero Innovation Board (NZIB). It is chaired by the Government Chief Scientific Adviser and brings together senior representatives from government departments, non-departmental public bodies and non-ministerial departments with major climate mitigation, decarbonisation or energy-related research and innovation budgets, or related policy remits. NZIB, through its Innovation Delivery Board sub-group, also monitors progress of the programmes set out in the Net Zero Research and Innovation Delivery Plan.

Fuels: Prices

Baroness Randerson: To ask His Majesty's Government when they intend to publish legislation onestablishing a price monitoring body for fuel pricing and the requirement for retailers to provide real-time pump prices by site.

Lord Callanan: The Government announced on 15 November that the Competition & Markets Authority (CMA) would undertake the ongoing road fuels price monitoring function. The Digital Markets, Competition & Consumers (DMCC) Bill was amended at Commons Report stage to give the CMA information-gathering powers for the monitoring function. We will consult shortly on the statutory road fuel prices open data scheme and elements of the monitoring function not outlined in the DMCC Bill. Following conclusion of the consultation process and Royal Assent of the Data Protection & Digital Information Bill, secondary legislation will be laid using Smart Data powers to establish the open data scheme.